Tough Cookie

“I’ve got three news items,” Tom whispered as the organist warmed up for the prelude of carols. “Ready?” I inhaled the sharp, invigorating smell of Christmas greens and nodded. “First,” he said, “we found a computer disk with all of Portman’s records. It was tucked inside a cigar box belonging to a Civil War general. Second, we found Nate’s tape where you left it in the bistro freezer. Cinda Caldwell confessed to being out-of-bounds with him when he died.” He tilted his head at me and I nodded. “She was all weepy, said she’d plead guilty to whatever they wanted to charge her with. The district attorney told her thanks, but the statute of limitations had expired on out-of-bounds excursions. And to her surprise, causing an avalanche that killed somebody who was also out-of-bounds is not a crime. She said she was going to give lectures on winter sports safety, donate some of her shop’s profits to avalanche victims worldwide. I mean, the woman has gotten religion.” He took a deep breath and pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. “And this, Miss G., is your certificate of reinspection. You passed. The inspector is smitten with your drains. Almost as much as I am smitten with you.”

I hugged him so hard he chuckled like Santa. The service started and the packed church surged into song. We prayed and heard Bible lessons. At the Intercessions, an usher handed the priest a note. He opened it and beamed at the congregation.

“A former parishioner,” he told us, “has given birth to a seven-pound, thirteen-ounce boy. Joshua Nathan Bullock was born to Rorry Bullock at three-thirty this afternoon.”

Everyone smiled and clapped. The tiny white lights on the church’s ceiling-high Christmas tree twinkled and glimmered. I reached out to embrace Arch, and to my surprise, he reciprocated with an enthusiastic, tight hug.

“That’s the best bit of news yet,” I whispered to him.

“Merry Christmas, Mom,” Arch whispered back, and I hugged him harder.

What a gift, I thought, to have a son.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Diane Mott Davidson is the author of ten Goldy novels: Catering to Nobody, Dying for Chocolate, The Cereal Murders, The Last Suppers, Killer Pancake, The Main Corpse, The Grilling Season, Prime Cut, Tough Cookie, and Sticks & Scones. Diane lives in Evergreen, Colorado, with her family.

If you enjoyed Diane Mott Davidson’s

TOUGH COOKIE,

you won’t want to miss any of her tantalizing culinary mysteries. Look for them at your favorite bookseller. And look for her latest scrumptious mystery,

CHOPPING SPREE,

available from Bantam Books!

CHOPPING SPREE

DIANE MOTT DAVIDSON

TOUGH COOKIE

A Bantam Book

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Bantam hardcover edition/March 2000

Bantam mass market edition/April 2001

All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2000 by Diane Mott Davidson